Picture Frames

In 2007 the barn on the farm was definitely aging. 

My dad explored salvaging the boards.  Dad and I went out to the farm and brought home a barn door.  

I taught at Storm Lake Middle School and Mike, the industrial arts teacher, was gracious (after roping him in) and cut the wood and created picture frames – 14 for the grandchildren of Marie and Adolph.  I used an aerial picture of the farm and gave them to my sisters and cousins.

Loon Lake Lutheran

(also pronounced Lootheran)

Throughout our 20 plus years at Loon Lake several times each summer we worship together at Loon Lake.  We sit on the couch, rockers, lawn chairs and the floor.  

Candles lighted.

We use the out of date hymnal currently the green LBW. 

Often a devotional book by Rueben Youngdahl will be brought out along with Egemeiers Bible Stories or the Spark Bible.

We have scripture and singing.

Often Mike will offer thoughts but not always.  

My biggest smile came when Myles age 3 asked Gretchen to take him to the nursery!

Danish Plates

When we were married fifty years ago my grandma gave us a Bing and Grondahl  Christmas plate.  

She then gifted me with a Royal Copenhagen Mother’s Day plate when our children were born.  

In celebrating  Grandma’s tradition we have gifted our children with B & G plates for their weddings and also Royal Copenhagen Mother’s Day plates when each grandchild was born.

And this year we celebrated our 50 years with a B & G Christmas plate.

Smiles with Myles

Last spring when 4 ½ year old Myles stayed with me I laid my glasses on the counter.

I came back to find them like this. 

Myles said “They like to be this way”.

When he was closer to 5 he looked at the new bar of soap I put out and exclaimed, “Look the soap can tweet!”

And in December 5 ⅓ year old Myles was having a hard day.  His mom found him like this.  

He had gotten a laundry basket and found his picture when he was about 4 months old and climbed into the laundry basket to ponder growing up.

Shooting in Pittsburgh

Saturday morning on the radio I heard there was a multiple shooting in Pittsburgh.  My sister lives in Pittsburgh.

The shooting was at a synagogue.  It is near my sister’s church.  We’ve been in the neighborhood.

 My brother-in-law’s brother and family are Jewish.  They are members of another synagogue.  They are safe.

Nearby Carnegie Mellon University is locked down.  My sister’s nephew attends CMU.

It gets closer and closer.

First They Came For The Jews

by Martin Niemöller

First they came for the Jews

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists

 and I did not speak out

because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists

and I did not speak out

because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me

and there was no one left

to speak out for me.

"First They Came for the Jews," was written by Martin Niemöller, a Lutheran pastor and theologian who was born in Germany in 1892. At one time a supporter of Hitler’s policies, he eventually recanted and as a result was arrested and confined to the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps from 1938 to 1945. After narrowly avoiding execution at the hands of the Nazis, he was liberated by the Allies in 1945 and continued his career in Germany as a clergyman, pacifist and anti-war activist.

Remembering Ellen

We lived in the same town for just over 3 years and formed a close friendship.  After her family moved we stayed in touch frequently which slowed after we also moved.  When we met or talked by phone we could pick up where we left off.

When we met, she was wife and mother to 10, then mother to 12 and after her move mother to 14.  Eventually she added 22 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

She was my confidant and coach.  She practiced sharing… you can feed many around your table besides family and there is enough…..love expands and isn’t reduced by loving others.  Her children always had clean clothes and combed hair…and she advocated for all children at school….often room mother for multiple classes.  We laughed together and shed some tears together.

Her 10 years before transitioning from this life to the next she lived with Parkinson’s Disease.  I often wished we weren’t 750 miles apart.  Ellen you lived a good life.

Sanibel Sun

              Sunburn, windburn, shade burn, reflection burn!

Walking, reading, visiting, resting

            

  Exploring Ding Darling Wildlife preserve, shops,

Shelling, eating out, best waffles, best eggs, best key lime pie, best fish, best ribs, best…..

              Meeting Cousins.

Celebrating Linda’s birthday together on the day…probably the first time since we were growing up!